Seven African healthtech startups have been selected for the third cohort of the Investing in Innovation Africa (i3) program, a pan-African initiative backed by the Gates Foundation, MSD, Sanofi, and others.
Each startup will receive up to $225,000 in grant funding and tailored support to grow their pharmacy-focused innovations.
Why it matters
Pharmacies are the first point of care for 70% of healthcare visits in many African countries.
These startups are building tech-driven tools to make medicine access more efficient, affordable, and widespread—helping to close key gaps in healthcare delivery.
Between the lines
The selected companies offer innovations in areas like last-mile delivery, AI-powered prescriptions, cloud pharmacy systems, and embedded financing.
They’re operating across 19 countries with the goal of making pharmacy care smarter, faster, and more accessible.
The selected startups:
Zoom out
In its first two years, the i3 program has funded 60 startups with $3M in grants, facilitated 122 contracts and pilots, and helped create nearly 1,000 jobs—with half of them going to women.
What they’re saying
- “We remain committed to supporting innovative solutions that strengthen local health systems across Africa,” — Boniface Njenga, Gates Foundation
- “MSD is committed to partnering with i3 to expand equitable healthcare access by investing in local healthcare businesses,” — Dr. Priya Agrawal, MSD
- “The support of leading global life sciences and logistics companies…is encouraging as we scale our impact,” — Dr. Ashifi Gogo, Sproxil
What’s next
The startups will take part in i3’s Access to Markets event in December 2025, where they’ll pitch to healthcare buyers, donors, and governments.
i3 aims to help forge 150 strategic partnerships and influence deals worth $30M.
Go deeper: innovationsinafrica.com
